An Israeli operation in the village of Beit Jin in the Damascus countryside killed 10 people, including women and children, Syrian state media reported, in the latest Israeli military incursion in southern Syria.
"The number of martyrs from the Israeli aggression ... has risen to 10, including women and children, while others remain trapped under the rubble," Syrian state TV said, adding that dozens of families fled the village of Beit Jin to safety in nearby areas.
Israel's army said at least six soldiers were wounded overnight in an operation to arrest suspects from the Lebanese Islamist group Jamaa Islamiya.
"The suspects operated in the area of Beit Jin in southern Syria and advanced terror attacks against Israeli civilians," Israel's military said in a statement.
The Israeli military said its troops came under fire from militants and "responded with fire toward the terrorists, along with aerial assistance".
It said three of the soldiers were seriously injured.
Read moreIsraeli strikes near Syria's capital kill at least six soldiers
Local official Abdul Rahman Al-Hamrawi told AFP that Israel raided the village southwest of Damascus that sits on the foothills of Mount Hermon, sparking clashes.
"The Israeli occupation army raided Beit Jin to arrest three young men from the village, leading to clashes with residents who tried to resist the Israeli incursion," he said.
"Following the clashes, the Israeli occupation forces shelled the area with artillery and drones."
After the fall of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 and the arrival of the new Islamist leadership in Damascus, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria.
Israel swiftly sent troops into the UN-patrolled buffer zone, which has separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the Golan Heights since 1974.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
English (US) · 